IF they are not cared for properly and not controlled by their owners then dogs can be very dangerous animals.

The attack last year on eight-year-old Broagan McCuaig in a Glasgow street shows the damage that dogs can do to a child.

While most dog owners are responsible and most dogs well behaved, there is a need to ensure that we have done all we can to prevent these savage attacks from happening.

Paul Martin's idea of micro- chipping forces the owner to take action and accept that they are responsible for their animal.

While this in itself will not prevent a dog from attacking children or adults it means dog owners can be traced and held brought to account.

The re-introduction of dog licensing has been mentioned but Patricia Ferguson raised an interesting point about owners being licensed.

The dog's behaviour good or bad is often a reflection of how the dog has been reared and treated by the owner and more focus has to be paid to the person responsible for the dog.

Previous attempts to deal with dangerous dogs have not worked well enough, and it is clear that further action is required.

If it prevents another child suffering like Broagan, then it will have been worth it.